Average customer rating:
- Refreshing comedy of marriage
- Better left unread.
- The truths and lies on which lives are based
- Thought provoking
- Long Distance Love Explored
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Intimate Strangers
Juliette Mead
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0671537946 |
Customer Reviews:
Refreshing comedy of marriage.......2004-07-25
Restless and out-of-sorts, the British Callahans and the American McCarthys attempt to spice up their summer with a trans-Atlantic home-swap. Big mistake. Or is it? In British author Mead's witty novel of marriage gone awry, people have a refreshing resilience.
Christy Callahan, former stockbroker and Southern belle, turned quintessential housewife and mother, is bored with her role and her husband, Gabe, a hapless, talented lawyer whose consuming goal is her happiness.
And Maggie Callahan is full of resentment toward her successful and philandering journalist husband, Oliver, and fears that she may be doomed to tawdry domestication forever. Oliver, a compulsive liar, rather likes his life the way it is.
Christy is the catalyst for change. A fount of energy, Christy takes on the Wiltshire neighborhood and her borrowed house with crusader's zeal. Enchanted by Oliver's eclectic library (entirely inherited unbeknownst to her), she comes across an unpublished novel about his great doomed love affair and becomes obsessed with his passion.
Mead's character depictions, particularly the women, are unsparing without being unsympathetic. While most novels of dysfunctional marriage, no matter how clever, tend to be arid and bleak, this one is absorbing and deliciously ironic, full of unexpected twists and turns.
A delightful and thoughtful book, Mead's American debut, should win her plenty of new fans.
Better left unread........2001-01-15
The only reason I slogged through this book was to see how it would end. The idea for the storyline was good, but other than that, the book was terrible. You basically have a group of well-to-do people who are not satisfied with what they have and constantly whine and complain about it. The children acted more like adults than the adults did. If you want to read a story about discontentment and infidelity, this book's for you. Otherwise, don't bother.
The truths and lies on which lives are based.......2000-09-16
This plot of this book is pretty straight-forward: a British couple and American couple swap their houses for the summer. Living in one another's houses, they become entwined (to various degress, depending on the individual) in each other's lives. As the sumer progresses, their lives begin to unravel and then weave themselves into different shapes. The writing is occasionally intrusive, and one of the four main characters is significantly less well-drawn then the other three; for these reasons, I gave the book only four stars.
_Intimate_Strangers_ is full of thought-provoking situations and events. It avoids an easy or clean ending, leaving the reader to ponder the prognosis for a relationship built on a significant lie. The tagged-on epilogue is laugh-out-loud funny.
Thought provoking.......1999-12-11
Truthfully, I haven't finished reading this book. I am about two-thirds of the way through the book and I am looking forward to seeing how it ends but I also don't want it to end. This book has an interesting concept. Two families from different countries swap their houses for a couple of months. (A bit like Maeve Binchy's "Tara Road" - a brilliant writer) The characters are very real and entertaining. There is a nice mix between the American culture and the English culture. I went to read the reviews on this book to see what other readers had to say. I see there haven't been too many reviews on this book. From what I have read so far, this book is well worth reading.
Long Distance Love Explored.......1997-09-22
This is the story of a long distance relationship between two very different people which begins with a very innocent house swaping arrangement. It was very enjoyable and had at least one or two real thought provoking lines including, "...you can't go around messing up somebody's life just because you ge the notion that you love them. No one has that right." (page 148)
A good read for the upcoming winter!
Book Description
In explaining the power of celebrity in modern life, Richard Schickel ranges through every realm of our culture--film, theatre, television, literature, art, the media, pop music, politics--for examples of how celebrity shapes our world and bends our minds.
Customer Reviews:
Fine Book.......2006-02-12
An incisive and clearly delineated look at celebrity, especially astute in dealing with the fading of celebrity. In a time of omni-celebrities the book becomes pertinent in being able to understand such impossible figures as one called Paris Hilton, how a woman of no talent can propell herself into the ranks of most recognizable "celebrities." Schickel's book is, also, a pleasure to read
There Are None So Blind.......2003-06-20
I got this initially to assist in my study of celebrity life (ala movie actors and rock stars), and I discovered a much more interesting subject in the process. The effects of the media on our culture, society, morals, ethics and most importantly the voting process, and how the mass media has served not to make a better informed public but one drowning in information we can not possibly sort through before new information is again introduced. Covering the famous from Charlie Chaplin and Ronald Reagan, Schickel explores all of the reasons for the rise and fall of celebrities, and the relationship between those who have and those who believe they have not. In the end, it is simply that the false intimacy that has been created prevents real intimacy, and that in this world of 900 channels we are losing our humanity and replacing it with long distance rightness.
Book Description
Intimate Strangers is a book for every man and woman who has ever yearned for an intimate relationship and wondered why it seemed so elusive. Drawing on years of research, writing, and counseling about marriage and the family, interviews with more than two hundred couples, and her own experiences, Lillian Rubin explains not just how the differences between women and men arise but how they affect such critical issues as intimacy, sexuality, dependency, work, and parenting. Candid, compassionate, and insightful, Rubin's lucid examination should aid each of us in our struggle for greater personal and emotional satisfaction.
Customer Reviews:
High comedy, low insights.......2006-11-17
I remember a few years ago, this book had acheived some fame as a sort of frappucino version of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." I was never inclined to read such a thing, as my philosophy on the matter is that "women are from mars, pass the beer nuts." However, upon a slight perusal of the thing on a psychologist friend's bookshelf, I couldn't stop myself from reading the whole thing. In fact, I could not help laughing out loud every couple of pages; shucks I was positively roaring with laughter. I do not think I have ever laughed so hard at any book, television comedy, or moving picture farce in years. The upshot of the book was that women want men to share their emotions to increase their "intimacy." Most men resist this. They do not have strong or differentiated feelings on most subjects, and when they do, they often consider them to be private matters; stuff which their wives couldn't relate to anyway. Men simply do not have complicated emotional lives, and what emotions they do have, they do not ascribe great importance to, being more interested in building impressive objects out of plastic and iron, such as monster trucks or nuclear submarines.
On the rare occasions that men are browbeaten by their wives into sharing their feeeeeeeelings (one must pronounce it this way, I think) on a regular basis, the inevitable result was, well, divorce! Of course the author, being a proud posessor of two X chromosomes, still seemed to think this emotion sharing "intimacy" was a good thing (because all women seemed to want it), despite admitting that it generally resulted not in any kind of improved relationship, but breakup! There were plenty of wonderful "man/woman" stories she brought up from her theraputic practise, none of which would suprise any student of human nature -these parts almost read like a stand-up comic routine; she seemed to find these stories suprising and revelatory rather than banal. Stories like "all he seems to want to do is eat, have sex and watch television!" Or, "she's always bothering me about my 'feelings.' What feelings? My feelings after work are, 'I am tired and want to go to sleep.'" Or, "I always wanted him to share his feelings until he did, and then I found out what a weak, contemptable coward he is! I want a big strong daddy to take care of me!" I am paraphrasing, of course, but these were the upshot. Beyond my eternal amusement at the poltroonery, odiousness and feeblemindedness of the human animal, one of the things I found most amusing about all this was her perpetual amazement at it all, and her sniffily haughty assertions that she and her husbands relationship isn't as screwey as those of her patients. The latter sounded suspiciously like ordinary housewife coup-counting; "well, my Larry is so well trained, he mows the lawn and makes me breakfast in bed, (subtext: unlike your lump who just watches football games)." I would love to eat dinner at her place. Surely such a unique example of domestic bliss would be quite a thing to watch in action.
For what it is worth, after reading this one I have purchased and read every single one of Ms. Rubin's books, some of which I actually think are pretty insightful. I'm probably her biggest fan, though I suspect she'd find my insufficiently reverent attitude insulting. I say the insights are low, because they're the type of insight you could get from talking to any old lady who has been around the block a bit. If you don't have some local charwoman to set you straight on the facts of life, such "low" insights can be pretty powerful. In this case, you should buy her book and learn some more about the human condition.
Customer Reviews:
Karen Templeton just keeps getting better!.......2003-09-06
Haven, Oklahoma -- present day
Jenna Stanton has a secret, and it's a biggie. An entry in her late sister's diary reveals the name of the man who fathered Jenna's niece. Does Jenna have the nerve to meet and check out the man, and to inform him he has a daughter? On the pretense of researching her latest mystery novel, she checks herself and Blair into the motel he owns. Even though Jenna thinks that Hank Logan has the right to know about his daughter, can he be the father that Blair needs, or will he reject her the same way he did her mother -- as the diary implies. Jenna hopes their month long stay at the motel will give her a chance to find out.
Former cop Hank Logan wants nothing more than to renovate and run his motel. Since the tragic death of his fiancée three years ago, he doesn't want any complications or commitments. When Jenna Stanton and her niece, Blair, check in, however, he gets just what he doesn't want -- complications by the bucketful. Jenna claims she's there to research a new mystery novel she's writing. After a while, Hank doesn't buy it, and neither does Blair, seeing as how Jenna doesn't travel too far away from the motel.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave...
Hank Logan is a tough nut to crack, one of Ms. Templeton's most "alpha" males to date, and she does a wonderful job with him. Jenna may have her own agenda, and Blair may not be her biological child, but Jenna is as protective as a mother bear with her cub where Blair's concerned. All three of these characters, as well as the well-developed secondary characters, create mischief and mayhem that combine to create a tender, poignant family tale. Hank Logan doesn't stand a chance against Jenna, Blair, and his family and friends as they try to break down the wall around his heart.
Karen Templeton's talent and skill at writing family stories shines again in this tale about secrets and lies, misunderstandings and misconceptions. The second book of The Men of Mayes County, FATHERS AND OTHER STRANGERS begins where SAVING DR. RYAN ended. Next up is younger brother Cal's story, and I can't wait!
Book Description
Strange and yet strangely intimate - Kobi Israel's men allow you a free view into their inner selves. The trust they put in the photographer reflects their longing and curiosity to discover themselves and fight for their own place in a world grown strange. Kobi Israel tells his stories in warm images full of emotions: shots full of sadness, longing, desire, joy, and a lust for life. through the look in the eyes of these strange men the viewer discovers his own strangeness and comes closer to his own longing to find himself.
Customer Reviews:
When Intimacy is the Means of Communication Between Strangers.......2005-07-02
Kobi Israel is not only a fine photographer, he is an observer of the human condition. Originally from Israel he moved to London's SoHo district where he noted the inordinate number of isolated strangers, men without connection to him whose stories Israel felt needed telling. "Soho is full of posing, but also full of feelings and emotions - loneliness, excitement, fear, passion and self-discovery are all aspects of living in a big cosmopolitan city." "We are all foreigners among foreigners here - everyone you lay your eyes on is a mystery, an enigma."
Israel began capturing his subjects on film. "I selected my models very subjectively, often without having a plan beforehand. Some sessions were triggered by a smile on the street from a passer-by, a shy look in a bar, an erotic chat on the internet, or just by following the body language of someone across the street from my coffee table. Sometimes, a moment of intimacy unexpectedly revealed itself during a professional photo session for a model portfolio."
The results of this handsome portfolio are in the subjects, the emotionally lonely poses, the phenomenal eloquence of Israel's lighting effects, and the fragility yet compassionate frames he has captured. Yes, there is pairing and intimacy here, yet the overriding message comes from the eyes and tenuous postures of these beautiful men captured by an artist who understands human vulnerability. Recommended. Grady Harp, July 05
Book Description
This richly illustrated book to accompany the PBS science documentary Intimate Strangers: Unseen Life on Earth combines vivid, descriptive images from the series and original artwork with the compelling story of the world of microbes and their role in the Earth's ecosystem. The authors have built upon the series content to offer a more comprehensive view of our relationship with the planet's tiniest inhabitants.
Targeted to a general audience, the book's lively style will engage parents and their children and teachers and their students, along with other members of the science-interested public, putting the vitally important role of the microbial world into stories and terms familiar to the reader.
Customer Reviews:
A rare winner.......2000-04-19
Rarely, oh so rarely has science been explained to the public with such zestful clarity. Not since Paul de Kruif's "Microbe Hunters" has anyone produced as exciting an exposition of how microbes and humans interact. The writers flavor the text with titillating examples, evocative metaphors, and thought-provoking questions. This book constitutes a passport to a whole wondrous realm, not just a single destination.
Average customer rating:
- EXCELLENT - RUTH WIND HAS DONE IT AGAIN!
- A fast, entertaining read...
- A nice contemporary Native American/plus-size romance
- BEAUTIFUL STRANGER IS TRULY BEAUTIFUL...
- I'm Hooked!
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Beautiful Stranger (The Last Roundup) (Silhouette Intimate Moments, 1011) (Intimate Moments, 1011)
Ruth Wind , and
Barbara Samuel
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Samuel, Barbara
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Wind, Ruth
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Similar Items:
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Her Ideal Man (The Last Roundup) (Silhouette Intimate Moments, No 801) (Harlequin Intimate Moments, No 801)
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Reckless (Silhouette Intimate Moments , Vol 796)
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Marriage Material (The Last Roundup) (Silhouette Special Edition, No 1108)
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Rio Grande Wedding (Men Of The Land) (Silhouette Intimate Moments, 964)
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For Christmas Forever (Silhouette Intimate Moments, 898)
ASIN: 037327081X
Release Date: 2000-06-01 |
Customer Reviews:
EXCELLENT - RUTH WIND HAS DONE IT AGAIN!.......2006-05-07
I love anything by Ruth Wind. I cant put her books down,they draw you in and dont let go.This one is no exception! I recommend all her books to you.
A fast, entertaining read..........2004-05-05
I love a good,light read... and though "Beautiful Stranger" was indeed light, it definitely was not fluff. Marissa has struggled with her self esteem her whole life...all that she really wants is for someone to really see her, not just her face, her body, or her money, but her...inside. Along comes Robert and wow, he is just what she needed. I loved that this book focused on their liking eachother, not just craving eachother. This is the kind of book that can be devoured in one sitting. It is full of likeable, realistic characters that I feel sure will remain in love once the luster wears off. Not quite a keeper,but definitely worthwhile.
A nice contemporary Native American/plus-size romance.......2003-04-12
The reason I liked this novel is simple. It talked about a Native American man falling in love with a plus-size woman. Even though she lost weight she is not skinny. I liked the fact that both characters were not perfect. The hero was a recovering alcoholic who is taking care of his niece. He is a good man who thinks he is not worth of the woman's love, but he is.
BEAUTIFUL STRANGER IS TRULY BEAUTIFUL..........2001-05-18
So often, when I read a romance novel, I get to the third chapter and put it down, never to be picked up again. Okay, so some of them hit the corner and end up in the "I can't believe I bought that stupid book" pile. But not this one!
Ruth Wind's characters are real people, dealing with real issues. The heroine is not model perfect and she probably never will be. I love that about her. She is aware of her issues with food and even tells the hero she thinks she can control herself if they go to a Mexican food restaurant. He, of course, is wonderful enough not to make an issue of her weight, except to tell her she's always been beautiful. Oh, and how my heart warmed to this book. But it wasn't just the main characters that made me keep reading, the hero's niece, and her "teen in crisis" issues make this book a great read.
If you're looking for your run of the mill, soap-like, romance, go to your nearest book store. If you're looking for true love, try this book -- if you can find it in a resale store. As for me, I'm holding on to my copy.
I'm Hooked!.......2000-06-09
I love romances, but it's so hard to find one that's really well-written, one that grabs me and hangs on to my attention throughout. This one did.
The heroine is the most perfectly ordinary heroine I've ever come across in a romance novel (except of course for one tiny detail). Not only that, but she's dealing with issues that I can understand. Yay!
And the hero--while undeniably rugged and handsome--is also ordinary. He's just a man, like any other man...flaws and all.
It's refreshing to read a story that doesn't rely on unrealistic contrivances to drag out the conflict. These are 'real' people dealing with real issues. They have their flaws and their foibles. And they work it out like adults.
This book isn't just about love-at-first-sight and it's not just about sex. Yes, there's instant attraction between the hero and heroine, but there's more to their relationship than their physical attraction. These characters genuinely talk about their likes and their dislikes. They actually have a relationship based on what they have in common--which is something you don't often find in a romance novel.
And the relationships the hero and heroine had with other characters also had a very strong realistic feel to them. I understood these characters' motivations and fears. In fact I felt I could empathize with them. I love that in a story! It's like meeting new friends...
Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the portrayal of the twin bond... It wasn't magical, it wasn't mystical...it just *was*. And that's how these things really work... It's yet another dose of realism that drew me into the story. The heroine and her twin actually seemed like two halves of the same person...and yet that seemed perfectly natural within the context of the story.
I am now on a personal quest to find anything else this author may have written. It's always a pleasure to discover another favorite! :)
Average customer rating:
- A fine primer for magazine writers
- Zehme is a writer for all readers!
- Not Very Intimate
- Great Collection
- Simply the best
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Intimate Strangers: Comic Profiles and Indiscretions of the Very Famous
Bill Zehme
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Entertainment
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ASIN: 0385333749
Release Date: 2002-11-26 |
Book Description
Schwarzenegger intimidates.
Sharon Stone strips.
Leno and Letterman duel.
In twenty years of raw and raucous celebrity profiles
Irreverently bold journalist Bill Zehme has long been celebrated for his ability to get under the skins of our most elusive icons, from the evasive Warren Beatty to the ever-unpredictable Madonna to the much misunderstood Barry Manilow. Now his most provocative work is collected for the first time, with over twenty-five landmark profiles, including Frank Sinatra, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Liberace, Howard Stern, Eddie Murphy, and Woody Allen.
Zehme witnesses Hugh Hefner withstanding the single blow that never entered into an adolescent boy’s dreams--losing his fantasy woman. He gets a nude massage with Sharon Stone, and an earful about men, sex, and the shotgun she keeps under her bed. Included, too, is Zehme’s exclusive firsthand coverage of David Letterman and Jay Leno, before and throughout their late-night feud. Here is entertainment history through the eyes of a man the Chicago Tribune called “one of the most successful and prolific magazine writers in the country.”
Hilarious, endearing, and wickedly insightful,
Intimate Strangers captures the business of celebrity for what it is: a big, lusty, star-crossed love affair between our icons and ourselves.
Customer Reviews:
A fine primer for magazine writers.......2003-11-17
Bill Zehme, one of the premier magazine writers of this era, is at his best in this compilation of pieces from Esquire, Rolling Stone, Playboy and other publications.
The book gets off to an ideal start with a 1996 Esquire piece on Frank Sinatra. Zehme's portrait of The Chairman of the Board as a wise old man who wants to impart his knowledge to future generations is never pretentious for a second, as Zehme keeps us mindful of the man's swagger, and the validity of many of his insights.
A 1998 look at Hugh Hefner is nice, touching just enough on his vulnerability without trying to make us feel sorry for someone who has lived out the fantasies of most American men.
A Rolling Stone article on Arnold Schwarzenegger from 1991 might be the strongest in the book, taking note of the actor's impact on other males within the context of the "Iron John" movement that had gained so much notoriety at the time, but doing it in a way that makes fun of the basic absurdity of his image.
Another standout is a 1989 Rolling Stone profile of Eddie Murphy, which reads to some degree like an extension of Murphy's rants from his concert film "Raw." Most of the piece is done as a Q&A, as Zehme is aware that the candidness and charisma of his subject lend itself to that kind of treatment.
The material on the Jay Leno-David Letterman feud is, for all intents and purposes, the denouement of the collection, and it's welcome here as the definitive portrait of both men, and the issues involved in Letterman's defection to CBS, outside of Bill Carter's "The Late Shift."
For journalists, as Cameron Crowe points out in his foreword, the mere study of Zehme's leads is rewarding enough. To grab a reader's attention in that first graf without promising something you can't deliver, or failing to flag something the reader should be sure to look for, is most definitely an art, one that many journalists never master.
Zehme is also a wizard of context and perspective. Where is the celebrity in his or her career? What are the trends going on in the larger culture that this person is taking advantage of or becoming marginalized by? Is the subject playing a lot of games during the interview itself, putting on a performance that has someting to do with his or her essential appeal? These questions are always asked, and answered for us in a way that is never obvious or pedantic.
In summary, this is great magazine writing, easily worthy of study in graduate journalism programs -- and yet lots of fun for the casual reader.
Zehme is a writer for all readers!.......2003-06-07
In a profession that typically spends its time doing PR for the next "hit," Zehme has managed to create his own style filled with a simple candor and a wry humor that supercedes the typical celebrity drivel. Whether it be actors, musicians or talk show hosts, Zehme offers great insight into not only the characters themselves, but also into the ever-humbling plague of the writers who follow them. Unabashedly observant, always charming, this is a collection for anyone who reads, but especially those who think people, and celebrities in particular, are just plain funny.
Not Very Intimate.......2003-02-22
Was slightly disappointed in this collection of old magazine articles that try to delve in to the personal life of several famous celebrities. Most of the articles were written over 10 years ago! Also, the last 25% of the book consists of rehashed articles on the Letterman/Leno feud.
On the flip side, Zehme's writing is concise and the book zips along. covering 15-20 celebrities ranging from Howard Stern to Barry Manilow.
Still, Zehme seems to be holding back the good stuff for himself, perhaps that's why he seems so accessible to the stars.
Great Collection.......2003-01-08
This is one helluva package, journalistically speaking. Got it for Christmas from a pal and read it over the holidays. Showbiz writing usually eats it, but Zehme's work, much to my delight, doesn't eat it at all. Not even a tiny bit. In comedy slang, it kills. These pieces aren't simply written, they're meticulously crafted, surprisingly insightful and packed with intimate, often hilarious details. Sinatra, Beatty and Manilow are especially great. And Seinfeld, too. And Letterman. And Hef. Hell, they're all worth reading. Zehme even makes Heather Graham interesting, and that's nothing short of miraculous. Snap this one up right away!
Simply the best.......2002-12-20
Zehme is the kind of writer who inspires other writers to boldly break new ground in their own work -- or to simply give up, get jobs in the food service industry, and spend their lunch breaks puzzling over how he does it. Intimate Strangers (very clever title), is a primer's primer in both style and substance, not to mention as real as it gets when writing about cultural icons. Zehme takes his work seriously, his subjects not seriously at all, and manages to make each piece seriously funny because there is never a crack in his conceit that these people merit the serious treatment they would give themselves, if only they could write the stories as well as be the subjects. Zehme punctures and lacerates and shows you the cracks in their pancake makeup with a verbal dexterity that would, to mix metaphors, make a slight-of-hand magician jealous. And yet it's not all about bringing down his subjects a peg or two or ten. Zehme also manages to write most lovingly and authentically about those icons like Manilow, etc. who suffer in the media because -- despite huge popularity -- no one cool takes them seriously. Zehme gives these folks their due as the truly cool.
Intimate Strangers is entertaining and provocative from start to finish, with a point of view seen nowhere else, except perhaps in a celebrity's mirror in the morning when they come face to face with their inner faker and know the truth.
A wonderful book. And now, I have to go because lunch is over and I have to get back to flipping hamburgers.
Average customer rating:
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Intimate Strangers
Alexandra Throne
Manufacturer: Fanfare
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0553295195
Release Date: 1992-07-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Love Across Time.......2005-03-31
Hollywood author, Jade Howard, slips back in time after donning a vintage gown in Santa Fe. There she falls in love with the husband of Megan Carlisle. The Carlisle' marriage is on the rocks, but Duncan Carlisle struggles with his newly aroused feelings for his "wife".
Perspective shifts from Carlisle to his wife (now in modern Hollywood) to Jade (in 1929 New Mexico). Thorne handles well the time travel, romance, impersonation, and setting of the scenes. The reader comes to care about the well-being of the characters. Disaster lurks with the coming stock market crash, Jade's fore knowledge of Duncan's death, and Megan's attempts to cope with modern life.
Many questions keep the reader engaged until the very end.
Customer Reviews:
NON-STOP Suspenseful Read!.......2007-04-27
In a passionately sensual beginning Ms. Mills, sets the stage for her newest suspense novel by giving you a glimpse into the secret life of Saura, a member of the wealthy and influential Robichaud family of Louisiana. Saura has suffered losses from the criminal underbelly that operates in New Orleans and has taken the lives of people Saura had loved. Emotionally closed off, she encounters a stranger whose eyes reflect the inner turmoil of a kindred soul - one who like herself is tormented and lost. After a night of fiery passion, Saura walks away to continue her quest to bring down justice on the person she holds responsible for the loss of her loved ones. Weeks later they would meet again.
Detective John D'Ambrosia was a perfect machine, a cop who would not make mistakes except for possibly letting the woman walk away from him who ignited a spark of flame in his otherwise dead soul. After discovering Saura was getting closer to the target he had earmarked to `take down' they reluctantly join forces. As John tried to take the lead in the investigation, he discovered that Saura was way ahead of him and her secrets would provide surprises that he'd never seen coming.
In addition to the edge of the seat suspense, Ms. Mills fills the pages with a passionate romance and a hero and heroine who are both fiercely intelligent and capable. What motivates them are the circumstances which the author feeds to the reader in bits and pieces as they discover the reasons for their individual tormented pasts. It is a remarkably good character study for both the leads and filled sensual heat and just the right amount of secondary characters to keep the pace moving at a fast clip. The author puts in enough detail to take the reader on a whirlwind ride searching for clues to nail the bad guy, even as they themselves often get caught in the cross-fire. As the story gains momentum a couple of twists pop out that this reader did not see coming which supported the mystery and enlightened the story. The dialogues were sharp, the passion steamy and sensual, and the pace kept this reviewer reading non-stop from beginning to end! This is an excellent read!
Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization
a pulse pounding and suspenseful adventure .......2007-04-24
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
John D'Ambrosia spent one night with a beautiful mystery woman before she disappeared. He has not been able to get her out of his mind so he's quite surprised when she reappears... on the arm of the criminal John is investigating. He is even more surprised to find out she is the sister of one of his former coworkers from the police force.
Saura Robichaud is suffering, has been suffering, ever since she lost her fiancé at the hands of New Orleans Crime Lord Nathan Lambert. Former private investigator, Saura went into hiding and has just now reappeared, sworn to find out everything she can about Nathan's activities. When the stranger she spent one unforgettable night with shows up at Nathan's home, she needs to get to the bottom of things.
Upon the realization that John is one of the good guys, Saura reluctantly agrees to work with him on the case. Their passion still lingers and makes both Saura and John long to give in to their desires. But their stakes in bringing Nathan down are far too steep. Dangers lurks around every corner and grows even stronger when they fear one or both of their covers have been blown. Can they outwit the enemy and find the love they both long for?
Saura and John are perfect for each other. Both have their inner wounds from past experiences they carry around with them. In spite of that, both are very strong individuals who know how important their respective missions are and won't let anything stop them. This added some great tension and conflict since John is all alpha male who will protect his woman at any costs. Saura is no shrinking violet though and won't let him call the shots. One of the best things about Saura's character is that we don't really know why she feels so strongly about taking Nathan down. It initially seems like she has a death wish, just as her brother Cain believes. However, as the story progresses, we learn there is much more to Saura and we see her true motivation shine through.
The Perfect Stranger is a pulse pounding and suspenseful adventure sure to keep readers fascinated until the very last page is turned and the mystery solved. I will admit, I found myself somewhat confused a few times where it was obvious there was a lot of back story not explained in this book. However, this didn't influence my understanding of the plot itself. It just affected my deeper perception of our characters' motivations and personalities. Once I realized there was a book preceding this one, Killing Me Softly, I tried not to worry as much about everyone's behavior, assuming it would be explained fully enough in this book for me to follow, as it was. And now I have a good excuse to move Killing Me Softly up on my reading list.
Jenna Mills proves she is a master of suspense with The Perfect Stranger. She kept me guessing throughout the novel with several twists and turns in the plot and even tossed in a few zingers that totally surprised me. One I later realized I should have seen coming but had missed all the clues. The other surprise I never in a million years would have guessed.
There is a nice secondary story with another strong mystery involving Saura's cousin Camille as well. This is obviously going to come into play in future books in the Midnight Secrets miniseries. I found this one as fascinating as the primary story surrounding Nathan Lambert's crime syndicate and can't wait to see how it will be resolved.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, April 2007. All rights reserved.
Well done!.......2007-04-20
Saura is a Robichaud. Her eyes sparkle with a fierce intelligence and fiery Cajun passion. All members of the Robichaud family seem to possess those traits. But Saura is the only one Detective John D'Ambrosia has spent time with as a lover. She had been a beautiful stranger back then. They had shared a single incredible night together. Now she has turned up on the arm of Nathan Lambert, one of the biggest and most ruthless New Orleans crime bosses.
Once they realize they are on the same side, John and Saura join forces. It is NOT something John wants to do. He wants to keep Saura far away from Lambert. Yet John has no choice but to acknowledge the fact that Saura has gotten closer to their target than he ever will. And Saura has a few surprises in her past which may come in very handy.
***** Saura is proof that you should never judge a book by its cover or a person by how they look on the surface. The book may someday become a classic and a person may use their appearance as a tool, if not a weapon. The heroine, Saura, does such. I could not help but feel immense satisfaction each time she succeeds in doing so either. The author, Jenna Mills, focuses equal amounts of time to the case, as well as, to the romance building between the couple. A surprising twist is even thrown in a time or two. Each time I felt as a rookie must. I left myself wide open by concentrating on the couple, rather than some small evidence that did not add up and came back to slap me in the face. This is proof, to myself, that the author has the excellent talent of diverting the attention of her readers without rousing suspicion. (Perhaps Jenna Mills is practicing to become a Puppet Master. Who knows for sure?) Excellent story! *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Books:
- J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (Two Volume Box Set)
- Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (p.s. so does May.) (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))
- Leading Corporate Citizens: Vision, Values, Value Added
- Let Yourself Go: The Freedom & Power of Life Beyond Belief (Sound True Audio Learning Course)
- Made in China: Women Factory Workers in a Global Workplace
- Map of Bones
- Media, Crime, and Criminal Justice: Images, Realities and Policies (Wadsworth Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice)
- Mere Christianity
- Morocco - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!)
- Navigating the Badlands: Thriving in the Decade of Radical Transformation
Books Index
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